Automobile delivery-wagon.



l No. 650,847.l 4Patented lune 5, |900.

, .H. LIB BEY.

AUTOMOBILE DELIVERY' WAGDN. (Appumim md oec. 2, 1899. (No Model.)

WITNESSES:

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- Bybm ifzzze ATTORNEY.

goods or` merchandise.

.tiallya part of the same, as shown Nrrsn STATES- PATENT (Erica.A

AUTOMOBILE DELIVERY-WAGON.

,SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,847, dated J une 5, 1900;

Application flied october 2, 1899.

To @ZZ whom it 'may concer-a:

Be it known that I, HOSEA W. JBREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suholk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile Delivery-Wagons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile delivery-wagons to be propelled by thelpressure of compressed or liquefied air or gas dischau'ged against the buckets, vanes, or blades of mo'- tor-wheels attached, preferably, to the rear traction-wheels of the vehicle.

The-invention consists in features of construction and novelV combinations of parts in an automobile wagonto be propelled by the force of expanding, compressed, or liquefied air or gas, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile delivery-wagon constructed and 'operated according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a partial front view o'f the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional View of a distributing-chamber through which the dischargeV of the compressed or liquefied air or gas is controlled. Fig. 5 is a view of a portion'of the distributing -chamber, showing non-conducting coverings for the e`.\ritpipes.V

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the 'reference-numeral 1 designates the closed-in body portion of a delivery wagon for the 'transportation of This wagon-body is supported on running-gear comprising a rear axle 2 and a swiveling front axle 3, each of which axles is provided with traction-wheels 4, that are preferably provided with pneumatic tires.

To the inner sides of the two rear tractionwheels are secured motor-wheels 5, each having its periphery constructed or provided with buckets 6,' having symmetrical sides,4 as shown in Fig. 1. i

The storage-reservoirs 7 for the compressed or liquefied air or gas are cylindrical in form and are located rigidly around the front and rear axles, respectively, and form substan- These two storage-reservoirs are connected by an1 equalizing-pipe 8, that is extended from a central under portion of the forward reser- Serial No. 732,403. (No model.)

Voir to a central front portion of the rear rese ervoir, as shown in Fig. 1. Any suitable `iiexible sliding connection 9, Fig.' 1, may be arranged in this pipe, as shown. To provide for swiveling of the front axle without subjecting the equalizing-pipe 8 tostrain or torsion, the forward end of said pipe connects by a sleeve 10, Fig. 1, with the passage that leads downward from 'the lower central portion of the forward reservoir.

On the central upper portion of the rear storage-reservoir 7 and communicating therewith there is located a redu cin g-valve 11, Figs. 1 and 2, of any suitable construction. This reducing-valve 11 is connected by a crankarm 12, Fig. 2, and a forwardly-extended rod 13, Fig. 1, with the lower end o'f a verticallyarranged cranked shaft 14, Fig. 1, through which the reducing-valve 11 can be operated, as required.

The reducing valve 11 communicates through a pipe 15'7 Fig.'1, with a distributingchamber 16, Figs. 1 and 4, through which the discharge of compressed or liquefied air or gas is controlled to propel the vehicle forward or rearward and to apply braking action to the mbtor-wheels, as required. This distrib-`4 uting-chamber 1br has a port 15, through which it communicates with the pipe 15and it is also provided'on opposite sides with ports 17, adapted to communicate with ports 18 in flanges 19, Fig. 4, on the inner ends of later; lally-extended pipes 20, each of which hasa nozzle 21 attached to its outer end. The two ysides or ends of the distributing-chamber 16 are provided with iianged caps 22, Fig. 4, by which the iianged ends 19 of the pipes 2Qare attached to the distributing-chamber insuch manner as to permit the pipes 20 to be rocked.

Each rocking pipe 20 is provided with a rigid arm 28, Fig. 1, for attachment of aconnecting-rod 24, the forward end of which connects with the lower arm of. a lever 25, fulcrurned at one side of the wagon within easy-reach of the driver or motorman. There are two of these levers 25 located side by side, and each has its lower arm connected by a rod, as 24, to an arm, as 23, on one of the outlet-pipes' 2O 'from the distributing-chainber. Thus the `nozzles 2l, attached to these pipes 20, can be operated independently through the appropriate lever 25; but the two levers 25 are lo- 2 stoen' cated so close together that both can be grasped at once to operate both nozzles together, if desired.

It will be observed that by means of the levers 25 the nozzles 21 can be swung to such position, as indicated by a, Fig. 1, to deliver a blast of air downward and rearward against the buckets 6 of the motor-wheels 5 in such manner as to propel the vehicle forward; also, by means of the levers 25 the nozzles 2l can be swung to the position shown bydotted lines at b, Fig. 1, todeliver a blast of air upward and rearward against the buckets of the motor-wheels in such manner as to ex'erta braking action or to propel the vehicle rearward, as required. In turning corners the speed of the two wheels may be varied by swinging one of the nozzles downward and the other upward. By throwing the lever 25 farther in either direction the nozzles may be thrown to the extreme outward positions, (shown in Fig. 1,) therebycarrying the ports 1S, Fig. 4c, away from the ports 17, and consequently cutting off the air-blast entirely.

The steering of the vehicle is accomplished through a hand-wheel 26, Fig. 1, on the upper end of a vertical shaft 27, the lower end of which carries a sprocket-wheel connected by a chain 2S with a sprocket-wheel beneath the centralportion of the forward axle.

Above the forward axle and supporting the front end of the wagon-body there Vis a itthwheel or swivelin g bolster 29, arranged to permit swiveling of the front axle in turning or steering the vehicle. Between the forward axle and the fifth-wheel and also between the rear axle and the body of the vehicle there is an arrangement of cylinders 30 and pistons 3l ,with compression-springs inclosed in the several cylinders between the pistons and the cylinder-heads to provide the required elastic support for the vehicle-bod y and obviate jars and strains.

It is preferable to provide the reservoirs and also the several pipes or passages for the compressed liquefied air or gas with non-conducting coverings that may consist of an inner layer of asbestos and an outer covering of rubber 31, as indicated in Fig. 5, which shows this nonconducting covering as applied to one of the outlets of the distributingchamber.

By providing a motor-wheel on each of the two rear traction-wheels to be operated by the two independentlyswingin g nozzles 21, as described, the vehicle can be readily controlled either for propelling it forward or for backing when required, and also by this construction braking action can be employed whenever necessary. The two levers 25 for controlling the swinging nozzles, lthe cranked shaft 14 for operating the reducing-valve, and the hand-wheel 2G for steering the vehicle are all located within easy reach of the driver.

The distributing-chamber 16 and its connected swinging nozzles 21 may be supported from the forward end of a bracket 35, Fig. 1, or in any other suitable manner, and a reach 36, Fig. 1, will be provided, as usual, between the front and rear axles or connected parts.

If desired, the storage-reservoir and the several pipes and passages for compressed or liquefied air or gas may be provided with a non-conducting covering, preferably composed of an inner layer of asbestos and an outer layer of rubber or rubber fabric, the asbestes being designed to protect the contents of said reservoirs and passages from the warmth of the outside atmosphere and the rubber to afford a protection against dampness.

What I claim as my invention is#- 1. In an automobile vehicle, to be propelled by the expanding force of compressed or liquefied air or gas, the combination of motorwheels located on the rear traction-wheels and provided with buckets, a reservoir for compressed or liqueed air or gas, a reducing valve communicating with said reservoir, a distributing-chamber communicating with the reducing-valve and provided with ports in its opposite ends, rocking pipes having fianged inner ends provided with ports to register with the ports of the distributing-chamber, nozzles on the outer ends of said pipes, lever mechanism for swinging said nozzles and their attached pipes independently or together to direct blasts against the motorwheels, and lever mechanism for the reducing-valve, substantially as described.

2. In an automobile vehicle, to be propelled by com pressed or liqueiied air or gas, the combination of motor-wheels attached to the rear traction-wheels and provided with vanes or buckets, storage-reservoirs for compressed or liquefied air or gas located around the front and rear axles of the vehicle, an equalizingpipe extended from the central lower portion of the forward reservoir to the central front portion of the rear reservoir, an equalizingvalve located on and communicating with the rear reservoir, lever mechanism for operating said valve, a distributingchamber communieatin g with the reducing-valve, rocking pipes extended laterally from the distributingchamber and adapted to communicate therewith, swinging nozzles on the ends of said pipes, and lever mechanism for swinging said nozzles and pipes independently or together, substantially as described.

In an automobile Vehicle, to be propelled by compressed or liquefied air or gas, the comn bination of moto1'wl1eels attached to therear traction-wheels, reservoirs for air or gas located around the front and rear axles of the vehicle, an equalizing-pipe connecting said reservoirs, a reducing-Valve located on and communicating with the rear reservoir, lever mechanism for operating said valve, a distributing-chamber communicating with the redncingvalve, swinging nozzles adapted to communicate with said distri butin g-chamber IOO ITO

IIS

Gem?? to discharge blasts against the motor-wheels, In testimony whereof l have herennto set lever mechanism for swinging said nozzles inmy hand in presence of two subscribing Witdependently or together, and elastic devices nesses.

intermediate the axles and the body of the HOSEA W. LIBBEY. 5 vehicle and comprising cylinders, pistons and Witnesses compression-springs, substantially as de- GHAS. STEERE,

scribed. WINIFRED G. KERWN., 

